The present invention relates to a device applying a product, for example, one or more cosmetic products.
In the field of cosmetic products, for example, one or more products may be provided in a container, which is beneath a housing that may communicate via one or more passages with an applicator received by the housing. The applicator may be integral with an element which closes an opening of the housing and which provides a structure for holding the applicator. The one or more passages may be equipped with a valve, for example, a flap valve, that opens in response to pressure from the product.
An example of one such device for applying a product is generally described in French patent application FR-A-2 792 296, which discloses an application assembly for applying one or more products, for example, to the skin and/or to the hair. The application assembly may include a container containing a first product and one or more applicator caps containing a second product. The applicator cap may include a support having a structure attaching it to the container while an applicator member is fitted to the support. The applicator cap may be designed to convey the first product from an orifice formed in the support to an application face of the application member. The application member may be covered by a removable cap fitted to the support and a second product may be received in the bottom of the removable cap in the form of a solid cake or a powder. The application surface may press elastically against the second product.
According to some embodiments disclosed in that document, a valve may be provided in the vicinity of the orifice in order to selectively open or close the orifice. The valve may be opened by the pressure of the product or by pressure exerted upon the application member when, for example, it contacts the surface to which the product is to be applied. The first product may be, for example, a make-up base in the form of a cream, a gel, or a milk. The second product may, for example, be in the form of a compressed or loose powder and may contain colored fillers or pigments. In some other embodiments, the first product may be a moisturizing and/or soothing base, for example, in the form of a milk or a cream. The second product may be in the form of, for example, a powder or a cream, and may contain a filter for protection against ultra-violet (UV) radiation. The disclosed application assembly, however, is not configured so that the valve is placed in an open condition in response to fitting structure (e.g., the applicator cap or its support) to the container.
Experience shows that when the applicator cap is equipped with a valve which is opened by pressing the application member on the surface to be treated, it may be difficult to apply the desired amount of product. Moreover, the pressure applied to the surface that is to be treated can, depending on the surface to be treated, make for uncomfortable application of the product. In addition, the valve may close automatically when the pressure is removed, which may prevent air being drawn back into the container. If the container is a flexible-walled tube, its shape may remain at least partly squashed following use, which may render it less attractive.
One subject of the invention relates to providing a device for applying one or more products that may include a container having a structure provided with an applicator that fully or partly obviates one or more of the drawbacks associated with the related art. Another subject of the invention relates to providing a device that may allow easy application of a desired amount of one or more products. A further subject of the invention relates to providing a device that may result in a more comfortable application of the product(s). Another subject of the invention relates to providing a device that may be simple and inexpensive to produce.
In the following description, certain aspects and embodiments will become evident. It should be understood that the invention, in its broadest sense, could be practiced without having one or more features of these aspects and embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are merely exemplary.
In one aspect, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention includes a device for applying a product. The device may include a container configured to contain a product. The container may include an opening and a valve associated with the opening. The device may include a structure configured to be removably fitted to the container. The structure may include a closing element and a housing at least partially defined by the closing element. The housing may include at least one passage configured to provide flow communication between the container and the housing via the opening of the container when the structure is in a fitted position on the container. The structure may include an applicator configured to be at least partially received in the housing. The device may be configured so that the valve is placed in an open position in response to fitting of the structure to the container (e.g., the device may be configured to place the valve in an open position as a result of fitting the structure to the container, which is in contrast to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 of FR-A-2 792 296, where a valve is not placed in an open position in response to fitting).
When the structure (e.g., a removable structure) is not fitted to the container, the product may be protected from the air without any auxiliary closing element such as a stopper or cap due, at least in part, to the presence of a valve in the opening of the container. The valve may be opened by fitting the structure to the container (and/or possibly closed by removing the structure). Since, in some embodiments, the product may be applied without exerting pressure on the skin, it may result in improved comfort when applying the product. When application of the product to the skin ceases, the valve may remain open. Thus, the valve may not prevent air from being drawn back into the container, and the container may maintain an attractive shape after use (e.g., the walls of an exemplary, flexible-walled container may not remain compressed).
According to another aspect, the valve may be configured to close via a return force when the structure is separated from the container. For example, the valve may include at least one elastically deformable portion configured to exert the return force. The valve may further include a movable valving element, wherein the movable valving element and the elastically deformable portion are integral with one another. For example, the movable valving element and the elastically deformable portion may be defined by a single piece, unitary construction (e.g., a construction molded from a single material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or another material). The elastically deformable portion may be configured to retain the movable valving element in the opening of the container. Some embodiments may include a spring (e.g., a helical spring), wherein the return force is exerted by the spring.
According to yet another aspect, the container may define a reservoir, and the valve may define a movable valving element configured to place the valve in the open position via displacement of the valving element toward the reservoir. This aspect may facilitate opening of the valve when the structure is fitted to the container.
In additional aspect, the device may include a member that is at least one of situated in the at least one passage of the housing and situated facing the at least one passage of the housing, wherein the member is configured to contact the valve when the structure is fitted to the container.
According to yet another aspect, the valve of the container may be a first valve, and the device may include a second valve associated with the at least one passage of the housing. According to this aspect, the structure may, for example, after loading the applicator with product, be removed from the container and placed in a handbag. The product retained in the structure may be sufficient for the user""s requirements for a day or a weekend, for example. The presence of the second valve may ensure that the product cannot normally leak into the handbag.
In another aspect, the second valve may include a movable valving element configured to place the second valve in an open position via displacement of the valving element toward the housing. The second valve may be configured to be placed in an open position via pressure of a product exiting the container. For example, the second valve may include a flap valve element configured to bend via displacement toward the housing, and the second valve may be configured to resume a closed position via elastic memory (e.g., spring-back) as the pressure of a product exiting the container is reduced with an intake of air. Embodiments according to this aspect may be suitable when the container has variable volume, for example, when equipped with a piston and/or configured in the form of a flexible-walled tube.
In an additional aspect, the second valve may include a flap valve element configured to be displaced toward the housing via the pressure of the product exiting the container, and the second valve may be configured to resume a closed position via elastic memory as the pressure of a product exiting the container is reduced without an intake of air.
In still a further aspect, the device may be configured so that the second valve is placed in the open position in response to the fitting of the structure to the container. For example, the device may be configured so that when the structure is removably fitted to the container, a portion of the first valve contacts (e.g., engages) a portion of the second valve, thereby causing the first valve to be placed in its open position and the second valve to be placed in its open position. The second valve may be configured to close via an elastic return force (e.g., spring-back force) when the structure is separated from the container. The second valve may include a movable valving element and at least one elastically deformable portion integral with the movable valving element, and the return force may be exerted by the at least one elastically deformable portion. For example, the elastically deformable portion and movable valving element may be a single piece, unitary construction. The at least one elastically deformable portion may retain the valving element in the passage. In another example, the device may include a spring, wherein the return force may be exerted by the spring.
According to an additional aspect, the applicator may be integral with the closing element. For example, the applicator may be fitted to the closing element via at least one of adhesive bonding, welding, pinch fitting, and snap fitting. According to yet another aspect, the applicator may not be fixed to the housing.
In another aspect, the device may include a support configured to removably fit the structure to the container, wherein the support may be integral with the applicator and the passage of the housing may extend through the support. For example, the applicator may be fitted to the support via at least one of adhesive bonding, welding, pinch fitting, and snap fitting.
In still another aspect, the device may include a support, wherein the closing element may include a lid configured to be fitted to the support. The lid may include a bottom portion and the device may include an auxiliary product at least partially contained in the bottom portion of the lid. The device may be configured so that the applicator contacts the auxiliary product when the lid is fitted to the support. For example, the auxiliary product may include one of a compressed powder, a cream, and a gel. Alternatively, or in addition, the product contained in the container may be a moisturizing and/or soothing base and/or a make-up base, for example, in the form of a milk, a gel, or a cream. The auxiliary product may be in the form of, for example, a powder (compressed and/or loose) or a cream, and may contain a filter for protection against UV radiation and/or colored fillers and/or pigments.
According to some aspects, an application face of the applicator may be, at least before use, elastically compressed against an exposed surface of the auxiliary product contained in the lid. With some auxiliary products, this aspect may assist with loading the application face with a sufficient amount of the auxiliary product. According to some aspects, loading the application face with the auxiliary product may be at least assisted by twisting the application face (via twisting, for example, the application face with respect to the lid) as it presses against the exposed surface of the auxiliary product.
The auxiliary product may be poured (in either a hot condition or a cold condition), and/or compressed, directly into the bottom of the lid, and/or into a cup mounted in the bottom of the lid. Tabs and/or other gripping structures may be provided, for example, if the product is being poured into the lid, such that the auxiliary product may be able to be retained the bottom of the lid as it solidifies. If the auxiliary product is in the form of a loose powder or a cream, a mesh, an open-weave fabric and/or other retaining structure, for example, may be provided in order retain the auxiliary product in the bottom of the lid. The exposed surface of the auxiliary product may have any profile, such as, for example, a flat, a concave, or a convex profile. The auxiliary product may be separated from the bottom of the lid by an elastically compressible component, for example, a spring or a block of foam, or by a piston. This may reduce the compression of the applicator inside its housing, although, when the lid is closed, the applicator may be at least partially compressed (e.g., elastically).
In still another aspect, the applicator may include at least one material selected from elastically compressible materials, open-cell foams, and semi-open-cell foams, and the device may be configured so that the applicator is at least partially compressed elastically when an opening of the housing is closed.
According to some aspects, the application face of the applicator may be at least partially covered by flocking.
The applicator may comprise a block of absorbent material suitable for absorbing the product passing from the container. For example, when the applicator is mounted on the support, the applicator may convey product from the passage to the application face of the applicator. In exemplary embodiments including an absorbent applicator, for example, applicators including a felt, an open-cell foam, and/or a semi-open-cell foam, the applicator may include a plurality of xe2x80x9cnaturalxe2x80x9d passages formed between fibers of the flocking, or formed by the pores of the applicator""s material. Such natural passages may be suitable, for example, when the product contained in the container is a liquid. In aspects including more viscous products, or in aspects including a substantially nonporous material, at least one xe2x80x9cartificialxe2x80x9d passage may be provided, for example, in the form of one or more channels (e.g., axial channels) extending from the support to the application face, to transport the product contained in the container to the application face.
The applicator may include an elastically compressible element (e.g., in the form of a bellows) having an application surface on its top. The applicator may include an application surface, for example, in the form of a foam, a fabric, and/or a non-woven fabric, and the application surface may include flocking. The application surface may be relatively smooth and/or be provided with a relief, for example, for providing a massaging action when the application surface contacts the skin.
According to an additional aspect, the applicator may include at least one material selected from polyurethane foams, polyester foams, polyether foams, PVC foams, NBR foams, felts, and multilayer composites.
In still another aspect, the container may include at least one rigid wall defining a reservoir portion of the container. For example, the at least one rigid wall may include glass.
In yet another aspect, the container may be configured to define a variable volume. Optionally, such a container may be configured to vary its volume in response to pressure applied to one or more of its portions. For example, the container may include a flexible-walled tube (e.g., wherein the variation in container volume is a result of pressure applied to one or more walls, perpendicular to its/their midplane). In another aspect the device may include a piston configured to slide inside the container so as to create a variation in volume. The piston may be configured to advance inside the container, for example, either in response to a depression inside the container or in response to pressure exerted manually on the piston.
According to a further aspect, the device may include a product contained in the container. For example, the product may include at least a portion of at least one of a cosmetic product and a care product. The product may include at least one of a liquid, a milk, a cream, and a gel.
According to an additional aspect, the device may include a refill structure including a product reservoir closed by a piston. The refill structure may be independent from the remainder of the assembly and may be configured to have a second housing (e.g., a housing containing an applicator) fitted onto the refill structure.
According to yet an additional aspect, the device may be configured so that the valve remains in the open position while the structure is fitted to the container. For example, the device may be configured so that the valve remains in the open position while the structure is fitted to the container regardless of axial force applied to the structure.
In still another aspect, the product in the container may not be pressurized (e.g., at least before a first use of the device).
In another aspect, the structure may be configured to be fitted to a portion of the container other than the valve.
According to an additional aspect, the container may define a reservoir, wherein the reservoir and at least a portion of the structure are substantially not axially movable with respect to one another when the housing is fitted to the container.
In an additional aspect, a method of applying a product may include providing the device for applying a product, fitting the structure to the container, wherein the valve is placed in an open position in response to the fitting of the structure to the container, and applying at least a portion of the product to a body portion using the applicator. In another aspect, the method may include removing the closing element from the remainder of the structure so as to expose the applicator. In still another aspect, the method may include removing the structure from the container. According to an additional aspect, the closing element may include an auxiliary product, and the method may include loading at least a portion of the applicator with at least a portion of the auxiliary product.
The term xe2x80x9cprovidingxe2x80x9d is used in a broad sense, and refers to, but is not limited to, making available for use, enabling usage, giving, supplying, obtaining, getting a hold of, acquiring, purchasing, selling, distributing, possessing, making ready for use, and/or placing in a position ready for use.
Aside from the structural and procedural arrangements set forth above, the invention could include a number of other arrangements, such as those explained hereinafter. It is to be understood, that both the foregoing description and the following description are exemplary.